183 Tasting Notes

Despite the fact that I once referred to drinking this tea as “like licking an English garden” it’s actually one of my favorites, and I’ve been drinking it daily. I was a bit wary of the floral flavor at first, as the gardeny scent of roses will always be reminiscent of gift shop candles and soap in my mind. I was surprised that the taste was strong (nothing more disappointing than a strongly-scented, barely-flavored tea) and very pleasant. Soft, slightly sweet… there’s just something relaxingly decadent about drinking roses.

Preparation

I really wish I knew (or could be bothered to experiment and discover) what it is that brings out the taste in Assam that reminds me of a honey taffy my mom and I made when I was a kid. It only comes out a little over half the time. With the nice, malty Assams, anyway.

I admit I was largely intrigued by the packaging and website for Sanctuary T’s new Mentor Tea line. (We’ve argued this point in the forums before… I like packaging and design, and it will always affect my purchases.)

I was happy to see Assam and Ceylon on the label, as they are my favorite black teas. I’d asked about the blend on Twitter, because I didn’t want to get myself into a Smoky Tea Situation, and was pretty sure I’d like this one. And I did. It makes a nice breakfast tea… maybe closer to Irish than English, which is lovely.

So, I’ve been away from Steepster for a bit. That thing about taking 30 days to make or break a habit? For me it’s about 36 hours. If I stop going to a site for awhile, I forget it exists almost immediately.

Anyway. Enjoying some Irish Breakfast in the mid-afternoon. It’s a wonderful day for sitting on the balcony, drinking tea.